Christmas Notes: “The first Noel”

From the book “Note di Natale” by Davide Pezzi (with a preface by Arturo Stàlteri) published by VoloLibero we publish some of the 95 songs covered by the author in the 300 pages of the volume; we tried to choose the least “predictable”.

Let’s start from the title: in fact we find this famous song as “The First Noel”, “The First Noël” or “The First Nowell”. Since “Noël” is the French term for Christmas, it has often been thought that this carol was of French origin, when in fact it was entirely born in Great Britain. The misunderstanding arises from the fact that in the English language Christmas is «Christmas», and while we’re at it
topic let’s also see how this term that we hear in so many songs was born: «Christmas» derives from the ancient English «Cristes Mæsse», which means «Mass of Christ»; subsequently, starting from the 14th century, «Cristes Mæsse» became «Christmas», as we know it today. So this time France has nothing to do with it… As for the alternative title “The First Nowell”, according to some scholars it could be linked to «novel» or «nouvelle» which means «new», something to tell.

Ok, once the linguistic digression is over, let’s see the origins of this song, which are as humble as the story it tells, namely the angels’ announcement to the shepherds of the birth of Jesus. Originally from Cornwall, a county in the south-west of England,
“The First Noel” was born during the Proto-Renaissance (the period that will lead to the Renaissance proper), during the 13th or 14th century. In this period, the so-called “miracle plays” (“Mystery Plays” or “Miracle Plays”) developed in Europe, among the first forms of theater. These plays represent famous biblical stories, and the story of Jesus’ birth is undoubtedly among the most popular. “The First Noel” is thought to have originated from one of these Miracle Plays. Perhaps the Christmas carol was written for a play or simply inspired by a play, either way it soon takes on a life of its own off stage too, and will be sung by the citizens of Cornwall in the streets and squares in front of churches.

“The First Noel” spread throughout England for centuries before being codified by not a musician, but an engineer and a lawyer. In fact, in 1823 it was transcribed for the first time and published in a collection of Christmas carols called “Some Ancient Christmas Carols”, edited by Davies Gilbert. This Davies is a curious character: engineer and
mathematician, as well as scholar of the history and culture of Cornwall, he also held various political positions, reaching the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It is during his stay in parliament that he will express his opposition to mass education, going so far as to say: «Giving education to the working classes of the poor would, in fact, be found detrimental to the
their morals and their happiness; it would teach them to despise their lot in life, instead of making them good servants in agriculture and other strenuous work to which their social rank had destined them; instead of teaching them the virtue of subordination, it would make them biased and refractory (…); it would enable them to read seditious pamphlets, vicious books and publications against Christianity; this would make them insolent towards their superiors.” A true progressive, therefore…

Ten years later, in 1833, “The First Noel” appears in another publication, “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern”, edited
by William Sandys, a lawyer and antiquarian who constructs a new arrangement for the song and adds some verses. Sandys’ book will be fundamental to the revival of Christmas in Victorian England, definitively witnessed by Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” in 1843.

Today “The First Noel” is usually performed in the four-part arrangement present in “Carols, New and Old”, published in 1871 by the priest and hymnologist Henry Ramsden Bramley, in collaboration with the composer John Stainer, harmonized for polyphonic choir (hear it from Sarah McLachlan at the end of the article). “The First Noel”, created to express the excitement and wonder of Christmas in a time without internet or telephones, performed in the streets to spread hope and joy in the villages of Cornwall, is still sung today – in an undoubtedly very different world – ultimately for the same reasons, and reminds us that – beyond the lights, trees and gifts – there was a “First Christmas”, intimate and intimate, illuminated by a single star, with poor shepherds unique witnesses of an event that still today gives hope to millions of people.